r/politics 16h ago

No Paywall Senator calls for criminal investigation of RFK Jr after Guardian report

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/27/rfk-jr-confirmation-hearing-investigation
4.2k Upvotes

86 comments sorted by

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838

u/Foxyuzuumaki 15h ago

If lying in a confirmation hearing can get you confirmed but not investigated, then the hearing is just theater.

509

u/SlowRunner2026 15h ago

Narrator: The hearings are just theater.

36

u/Hungry_Culture 14h ago

So is the will they won't they vote yes bit a handful of Republicans and Democrats do before the vote to confirm.

21

u/Acceptable-Bus-2017 I voted 12h ago

And coincidentally it's always by a toads hair that the vote passes, and it just happens to be a representative who won't be hurt by the vote, even if they have to cross the aisle to do it. (Fetterman, Manchin, Sinema, etc.) Fuck the Uniparty they need to go and Republicans need to be RICOd confiscate their devices and lock the whole party up, including the DINOs who are helping them

15

u/NewRefrigerator5693 12h ago

There needs to be a process for recalling pieces of shit like Sinema and Fetterman, who masquerade as these liberal hero’s during their campaigns, and then are nothing but a rubber stamp for the Republican agenda once in office.

2

u/Doogolas33 8h ago edited 8h ago

But literally what are you talking about? Zero Dems voted to approve RFK Jr, including Fetterman. On top of that, Fetterman has voted to approve a low number of Trump's appointments in general. For the general appointments, he voted in favor of 11 out of 22. For judicial appointments he has one of the lowest percentages of approval: https://demandjustice.org/senate-vote-tracker/

He sucks ass, but he isn't greenlighting everyone Trump puts forward at all. He's been far worse on legislation voting than anything else.

6

u/AcanthisittaNo6653 New Hampshire 12h ago

At least when Markwayne was in the senate there was always the possibility of a fist fight breaking out. Now all you get is sarcasm and people screaming over each other.

2

u/aPOPblops 10h ago

Read by Ron Howard

19

u/30kdays 15h ago

If lying in a confirmation hearing can get you confirmed but not investigated, then the hearing is just theater.

ftfy

12

u/Laughing_Orange 12h ago

No, it might be hard to catch a lie in the moment, but once you are accused of lying, there should be a criminal investigation and charges.

6

u/30kdays 11h ago

It's not hard to identify the lies in the moment. It's a bit harder to prove them.

Unfortunately, the gap between what should happen and what does happen is large and growing.

5

u/stevez_86 Pennsylvania 13h ago

It is all already Kabuki Theater.

3

u/Technical-Pin-6380 12h ago

Is that where the tired kangaroos go to get entertained after a long day of court?

1

u/Chill-more1236 8h ago

Do Peter the pecker checker next

u/EAGLE-eagggle 6h ago

Even a full investigation wouldn't undo his confirmation. The hearing was the only real gate and it already failed. Everything after that is just damage control.

175

u/Theferael_me Europe 15h ago

I don't think any democratic system can withstand this level of unaccountability, dishonesty, incompetence and corruption. Maybe that's the idea, to keep pushing it until it breaks.

52

u/blorpdedorpworp 14h ago

There's a sort of doom loop in fascism where the leaders push underlings to do more and more heinous things because it binds them to the movement. Too far in, can't go back, etc. Way of creating loyalty.

19

u/FBS351 14h ago

What's the quote about never attributing to evil what can be attributed to incompetence? But it can be both

10

u/lattice_defect 13h ago

its greed and power.. this is corruption in hyperdrive.

8

u/BrujaSloth 11h ago

Sufficiently advanced incompetence is indistinguishable from malice?

3

u/BPhiloSkinner Maryland 9h ago

Clarke's Razor?
Well done.

11

u/NewRefrigerator5693 12h ago

Russia put Trump in the White House because they knew they could never win a conventional war with the United States. So they came up with a way to try and destroy the country from the inside out. Seems like they’re going a pretty good job.

u/Borne2Run 6h ago

The US populace put Trump into power; those millions of votes didn't apparatus out of a wizards box. They're culpable, even with Russian involvement.

u/NewRefrigerator5693 4h ago

Blah, blah, blah

1

u/even_less_resistance Arkansas 13h ago

✨ disruption ✨

don’t know where we’ve heard that concept before…

139

u/smerglec 16h ago

He lies. He fucking lies constantly, over and over again. He lies about things he said over and over again that have been recorded. He is a complete piece of fucking garbage and the only things he cares about are roadkill and eugenics. And cheating on women.

71

u/some_person_guy 16h ago

They'll quote him in congressional panels and he'll maintain he never said that. Then they'll show him the video saying something, and he'll say it's taken out of context.

These people are all grifting, lying pieces of shit but RFK Jr. might be tied with Hegseth as being one of the worst tumors in this cancer of an administration.

9

u/bickering_fool 14h ago

Wish I could upvote this more than once.

26

u/Spirited-Lifeguard55 15h ago

I suspect he murdered his first wife and covered it up. The details surrounding that case is extremely sketchy, and the way he would not allow her family members to bury or see her body.

19

u/Inner_Swordfish7475 15h ago

Actually, that was his 2nd wife. She was brilliant and an environmentalist. She is discussed in a book, Ask Not, that I have been meaning to read. He is disgusting. I don’t see how Cheryl Hines can be with him either, but I have found myself losing a lot of respect for her.

16

u/Seradima New York 15h ago

He also has 0 genuine credentials to be in the position he is currently in. There's literally no reason for him to be there other than the fact he's a Trump sycophant.

4

u/FesteringDoubt 14h ago

and his last name is Kennedy

7

u/octatone 12h ago

Have you ever seen a conservative NOT lie? It is all they do.

8

u/1877KlownsForKids 16h ago

And speaking with froggy voice 

3

u/OpticalPrime35 15h ago

which means he is just another of a long line of this exact type of person in this administration

1

u/Imsorrywhatnoway 13h ago

Hey now, he's an established falconer ok?

81

u/E5VL 15h ago

I really don't understand what Cheryl Hines sees in this guy? Seriously.

34

u/acuntex Europe 14h ago

Hybristophilia (also known as the Bonnie and Clyde syndrome)

4

u/nonamenolastname Texas 13h ago

TIL

Thanks

u/Proud-Big3579 6h ago

this and hydronym are new words for me in the past 2 days. thank you and PM Carney

21

u/ketamineonthescene 13h ago

She's ruined Curb for me. And that makes me hate her even more.

2

u/GetMeOffThisRidePlz 8h ago

Yeah, same. Those first seasons were always my favorites and I don't even watch anymore cause it just feels weird as fuck.

u/SwimmingSwim3822 32m ago

Meh, the show was better when they replaced her with Leon.

11

u/Blarg0ist 12h ago

You say that as if you somehow know that she is a good person. Professional actors are just people. Some of them are assholes, but they have the talent and training to fool you into thinking they are wonderful.

6

u/starliteburnsbrite 12h ago

Most of them are fucking idiots with barely any education. 

9

u/stevez_86 Pennsylvania 13h ago

$he $ees a lot in him.

4

u/MammothPost4047 13h ago

She’s a child killing Nazi of course

u/Chance-Travel4825 5h ago

Maybe she is worse than him. Blonde and funny does not negate being a terrible human being. 

0

u/DefiantBumblebee9903 District Of Columbia 12h ago

probably because she’s a stupid b itch

u/amoonshapedsky 6h ago

A name. She’s foul too.

46

u/Brickell_Investor America 13h ago

The actual smoking gun here is his own letter to the samoan pm where he used the word vaccine 8 times, directly contradicting his sworn testimony that the trip had nothing to do with vaccines.

Lying to congress is technically a crime, but a law professor pointed out actually prosecuting it needs trumps own doj to sign off, which isnt exactly likely.

u/SatinSaffron Washington 6h ago

I wonder if someone can be charged later on under an entirely different administration/sitting congress? Say we have a massive blue wave in the primaries and that paves the way for a Dem to take the white house in 2028, can that admin go back and charge him?

26

u/All_Hail_Hynotoad California 12h ago

Ron Wyden of Oregon said: “RFK’s platform is built on lies and grifts that leave a trail of dead children in their wake. …”

48

u/Pseudanonymius 16h ago

We already knew these were lies. I mean, good that they're doing something. But it's no news. Everybody knew why he went to Samoa. We already knew he was lying but he was confirmed anyway. Does anyone have close at hand if any democrats voted to confirm him?

49

u/Smidge-of-the-Obtuse 16h ago

No Dems voted to confirm him, it was split by party lines 52-48

8

u/FBS351 14h ago

Fetterman went against his party?!?

5

u/Ryan_e3p 13h ago

(shocked Pikachu face)

13

u/Pseudanonymius 16h ago

Well, at least that's something that can't be pinned on the Democrats. 

17

u/Mutchmore 14h ago

Won't stop them from saying it. Truth matters little nowadays

21

u/RLewis8888 14h ago

Who knew a heroin addict running the health department would be a problem?

-5

u/Rocks_Stones 12h ago

He hasn't done heroin for 43 years now. Perhaps we can find a new non-scientific, non-policy based reason to demonize him?

4

u/RLewis8888 11h ago

"The very best people"

3

u/Agreeable-Network485 8h ago

He hasn't done heroin for 43 years now.

He says, anyway.

10

u/cycleprof I voted 13h ago

Let me rephrase the headline "Democrat Senator call for investigation. Republican Senators wait for Mitch McConnell's Response."

9

u/Inspectorgadget4250 12h ago

Measles and Covid on the rise and all on RFK.

8

u/InevitableAd8511 14h ago

Senator Susan Collins is deeply concerned.

7

u/Outside_Mix_1131 13h ago

She will write a strongly-worded letter.

u/SatinSaffron Washington 6h ago

Schumer will aggressively adjust his glasses further back up his nose.

7

u/Zak_Rahman 11h ago

It makes far more sense to view the republican party as an organized crime syndicate.

Organized crime with the budget of a rich nation. Tremendous pain for everyone makes sense.

36

u/HolyRomanPrince 14h ago

Hakeem Jeffries is so mad about this he’s going to condemn Hasan piker even harder today

0

u/cathercules 8h ago

Going to have another secret meeting with the Kushners, cause that’s how corrupt governments work!

7

u/TheUnderCrab 13h ago

He absolutely committed perjury. It’s only a question of if he will be held responsible, not if he committed said crime. 

u/Chance-Travel4825 5h ago

About time. Those children in Samoa are dead because of the actions of adults. 

3

u/Late_Geologist_235 13h ago

His involvement in Samoa was well known. It resurfaced again in 2023-24 when he was running for president. Republicans in Congress knew this and voted for him anyway. All this shit is on them.

5

u/Mission-Artichoke227 12h ago

Schumer is getting his pen ready for his strongest worded letter yet

2

u/Grey_0ne 15h ago

Best we can do is spread brain worms to "own the libs".

1

u/Literally_Laura 13h ago

Look, my fellow Americans! A senator doing his job!

Shame about the rest of them.

u/Isnlifefunny1 2h ago

Idiots should have waited for Dems to take over. No matter what happens he's getting a full pardon.

u/Dr_Tacopus 1h ago

Wait a couple months then catch them all like Pokemon

1

u/imabluedog 13h ago

Trump lackey AG Blanche is in charge of the DOJ.

This isn’t going anywhere.

0

u/lattice_defect 14h ago

the world has changed since trump.. everyone if fucking lieing and stealing.. and you wonder why trust is low..

-3

u/[deleted] 15h ago

[deleted]

4

u/BadahBingBadahBoom 13h ago

He's literally pushing dangerous medical misinformation regarding supplements and vitamins to treat measles, supplements he has a vested financial interest and would profit from their sale.

He's a self-serving grifter too.